Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-15
SAM FEsSENDEN AS A TAR.
He Astonishes the Natives With His
 Seamanship and Nautical Terms.

SAM FESSENDEN AS TAR. He Astonishes the Natives With His
 Seamanship and Nautical Terms.
 From the New York Sum-
 One day last spring the Hon. Sam Fessen- den, secretary of the National Republican committee, found himself used up. And no wonder. These are burdens which he had put upon his back last winter: Running Governor Lounsburys caucus for Governor; filing away the records of the National com mittee; prosecuting all the captured crimi- nals in Fairfield county; breaking upa rebel lion among the Stamford Republicans; attending to the legislature and keeping it on straight track in Hartford; sitting as direc- tor in half a dozen banks, trust companies and other corporations; running down to New York three or four times week to keep in the political swim, and attending to the biggest professional clientage in southwestern Connecticut. When the lilaos began to bloom, therefore, Sam Fessenden found him. self used up, and he determined to get back his vigor, for next year he expects to work twenty hours out of twenty-four every day, Sunday included, to elect Blaine.
 'fGet yacht. Sam" ," was somebody's ad- vice, probably Lynde Harrison's, ''and learn to sail her yourself"
 The idea took like chicken to cheese, and Fessenden bought yacht. He didn't know half as much about yachting as he did about Bill Barnum's canvass for Cleveland, and that wasn't as much as he wished it was.
 ''But there's rest in learning all about jib- booms and penucles," said Sam to his old partner, Judge Stanley Finch.
 "Penucles!" said Finch.
 :'Of course, the penucle sheet. I'm going to have a flying jibboom, and apenucle sheet, and gaffer topsail, and you may call on me for basket of Mumm, Stanley, if I don't trouble the waters with the Eclipse"
 It was some time before Judge Finch found out that the able seaman referred to pinnacle when he spoke of penucle sheet, but what he meant by gaffer topsail is a mystery.
 Some of Sam's friends, it is said, were dis posed to twit him on his spinnaker foresail; and though he loves joke as well as any man, he couldn't see the point of this. But he held his place about the yacht and deter mined to put to shame his friends who were disposed to ask him if he could put about on the port tack as we'll as he could flank trick to capture caucus, and who begged him to tell when he was going to haul up his gaf and shake out his jib.
 It is now reported that Sam sought the veteran sailor, Captain Lockwood, and took lessons in the nomenclature of yachts rig eing, and client insists that he heard Sam in his back office one day saying:
 "Belay there! Let go the flying jibboom. Shater your mainsail! Give her two points to the wind and jaw her rudder down hard. Grease that peak block there and lower your peak"
 If the client really heard these utterances it corroborated what everybody in Stamford has known for a month"; to wit, Sam Fessen- den was in training for a sailor, and crack yachtsman expected he to be. Ten days ago the Eclipse was lowed to Stamford harbor, ,l Epo Ina &n ha ha hod cost Sam good deal of money, but he was not obliged to give any notes to pay for her. She needed some overhau1ing and some rig ging, and then with party of friends and Captain Sam at the helm she was to go down to the sea, even to the coast of Maine.
 Last week during all the hot weather Sam was not seen in his accustomed place in Stamford. Judge Finch heard that he was on the yacht, learning her ways and treading the deck in his shirt sleeves like a seasoned tar. MT. Fessenden doesn't weigh quite as much as the late Daniel Lambert, but he's no skeleton and fine subject for broiling suns rays is his corporosity. But he didn't mind that, and a sailor informed Judge Finch that there was no better natured man, though he didn't know a sheet from shroud.
 Some of MT. Fessendens friends say that they found him the other day on the yacht, and he invited them aboard. Then he plunged into the cabin and returned mo- ment later with what he called his log book in his hand. Judge Finch observed that he glanced freauently into the log book and then pointed out the beauties of the yacht. "Ahoy, there,'' shouted Sam to his men. ''See how Pve trained them. Man the flying iibboom and let my friends see how you can do it."
 A sailor who seemed to have authority whispered 8 moment to the men, and then shouted sternly, "Man the flying jibboom." :"
 Thereupon the men shook out the jib, and Mir. Fessenden looked with triumph at his friends. "Ahoy, there!" again he shouted, "give her the trying sail"
 Again the sailor whispered and then shout ed, FGive her the trying sail. Aye aye, sir. ;
 Then MT. Fessenden smiled again upon his guests the sailors spread the tIysail.
 A third time he shouted, "Ahoy and be- lay there, cast your sheet anchor to the wind ward"
 Once more the mate whispered and then beloved the command to cast the sheet an- chor to the windward. And the men drop- ped the anchor in the muddy stream.
 ''Now," said Admiral Fessenden, "now I've got my peak block greased so that no man in this land can drop his peak quicker. quick"
 The mate whispered, and the men weighed anchor.
 "How's that?" said Admiral Fessenden.
 Then he put his crew through all the ma noeuyres, or thought he did, and announced with joy that the Eclipse was ready and would next week be out upon the bounding pillows.
 He should Huff her to the windward on Boston, he said, and run in for few days there, he said, and he rather hoped he should run across the Mayfower. MT. Fessenden says that already renewed vigor has come to him. He might have washed the deck of the Eclipse with the precipitation that fell from him last week as he was overhauling her and rigging her up, but with the sweat departed all his enervation.
 It would be both surprise and all injury to MT. Fessenden's feelings if any of his friends should tell him that the sailor said he didn't know sheet from shroud.
 When MT. Fessenden gets back from his cruise he will write a letter to MT. Blaine and tell him how much energy he has stored for next years canvass by the sea air and the mental stimulus caused by commanding yacht, and he feels very kindly toward Lynde Harrison for suggesting the experience.
 But whatever is said of MT. Fessenden's seamanship the Eclipse is 8 fine yacht, and is owned by man who is bluff and hearty enough to make as good seaman as he is politician.